In yesterday’s article, I claimed that for a typical PHC, a board member’s own strong emotional desires to end abortion results in him or her losing objectivity when evaluating the performance of the PHC executives and team members responsible for achieving measurable results.
Subjective feelings based on emotional intent and trying hard, replace objective data revealing measurable success.
The problem is that the number one priority of the “owners” of the PHC (not legally, but in terms of who provides the funding) – the PHC’s benefactors – want the PHC to save as many babies’ lives from abortion as possible.
Answering the question, “How many lives did your PHC save from abortion?” is asking a question about measurable data.
It is not asking a question about your PHC’s efforts (trying), but about your PHC’s results (success).
Into the Shark Tank
If you are not familiar with the TV show called “Shark Tank” I recommend that you watch it at least once.
You can find it on ABC.
The way the show works is that entrepreneurs present their product or service ideas to a group of five wealthy famous business investors, affectionately known as “the sharks,” and ask those sharks for investment funding to help grow their businesses.
There are many things that board members of PHCs can learn from this TV show.
One of the most important lessons is how skilled the “sharks” are at evaluating investment opportunities based on “the numbers,” and not on “emotions.”
Purchase Decisions Are Based on Emotions?
There is a well known sales and marketing adage that, “Customers buy on emotion, and then justify the purchase with logic.”
I believe that to be generally true.
However, when you observe the sharks’ decision-making processes in action on Shark Tank, it’s hard to conclude that their emotions, about the products at least, are driving their investment decisions.
It seems, on the other hand, that if their emotions are excited about anything in the investment opportunities they evaluate, it’s based on the potential business results as measured by financial profits.
I can’t emphasize enough how important the shark’s results-based decision-making process is because it appears to inoculate them from making decisions based on emotions.
You will see when you watch the show that the entrepreneurs walk in to the “shark tank” and get a couple of minutes to present their “case for support.”
Naturally, these are very polished presentations designed to evoke an emotional response of, “Wow, that’s awesome!”
And very often, the sharks themselves have that reaction.
After all, they’re only human
But then…
Always, and I mean ALWAYS, the sharks then quickly pivot from emotions to analysis by asking the entrepreneurs about “the numbers,” meaning proof of product demand as well as profit-based measurements.
“And for that reason, I’m out!”
Turning from the excitement of emotions to numbers-based analysis often leads to the sharks deciding to not invest in opportunities.
The famous line the sharks generally use when deciding not to invest is, “And for that reason, I’m out.”
Notice that “reason” implies analysis and thinking.
The sharks’ reasons for not investing always lead back to data, numbers, and results.
“And for that reason, I’m In!”
I believe the important lesson for board members of PHCs is this – act like the sharks do on Shark Tank.
If you are a board member of a PHC, it’s fine that emotions about the issue of abortion compelled you to join the board.
But the PHC’s investors – meaning the benefactors – want to know “the numbers.”
They will be attracted to PHCs that present a compelling emotional story about their mission, but at the end of the day, benefactors want evidence that the PHC they invested in is actually succeeding, not just trying to succeed.
A PHC’s benefactors expect, and deserve, measurable results – an increase in lives saved from abortion as measured by market share.
More tomorrow…
Regards,
Brett